It is beyond sport at the moment, says Laxman on India-Pak series

Bengaluru: Former Indian cricketer VVS Laxman has backed government’s decision not to play bilateral cricket series with arch-rivals Pakistan, saying “it is beyond sport at the moment”.

“I have always enjoyed playing against Pakistan,” said Laxman on Wednesday.

“But it is very important to respect whatever decision the government takes because it is beyond sport at the moment,” he added.

Two days before, Union Sports Minister Vijay Goel had ruled out a bilateral cricket series between India and Pakistan, saying “sports and terrorism cannot go hand in hand”.

“BCCI should come out with a proposal on Pakistan only after consultations with the government. I have already made it clear that any bilateral series with Pakistan is almost impossible because there cannot be sports relations between the two countries until there is terrorism from the Pakistani side,” Goel had said in New Delhi while talking to reporters.

According to the ICC Future Tours Programme, the Indian cricket team is scheduled to play Pakistan in a bilateral series later this year. But that seems highly improbable as hostilities continue from across the border.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had earlier this month sent a legal notice to its Indian counterpart for failing to honour the MoU signed between the two cricket boards in 2014.

The PCB had also demanded compensation close to USD 60 million from the BCCI for not honouring the MoU signed when N. Srinivasan was at the helm of affairs in the Indian board.

According to the 2014 agreement, India were scheduled to play six series against Pakistan , four of them were going to be Pakistan’s home series, subject to clearance from the Government of India.

The two Asian neighbours have not played a full bilateral series after the Mumbai terror attacks in November 2008. (ANI)